One of the staples of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), aside from the iconic panels that Marvel Studios throws, are the various off-sites that pop up at the convention every year. It's a rotating selection of unique experiences that the world can only experience once—they'll never exist again, at least in the form attendees see them in at SDCC.

From Lanterns to Widow's Bay, San Diego Comic Con 2026's offsite choices were just as good as they've ever been. The Direct was on-site to check out several of them, and our most notable experiences and standout moments are explored below.

The Inaugural Fandom Party at SDCC

Heroes & Villains is a brand that fans can always expect to deliver products that invoke the classic characters and worlds we all know and love. Each year, it brings new ideas to San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), and this year is no exception.

Last year, the company, which lies under the fandom-driven merchanise company Bioworld, had a heavy focus on Star Wars. While that franchise did still have its own booth on the SDCC convention floor this year, the main focus was on Doctor Doom and the X-Men.

The Direct caught up with Heroes & Villains Creative Director Doug Johnson at SDCC 2026, where he discussed the unique challenges Avengers: Doomsday posed, how the company approached embodying classic characters in its products, and the process for designing its incredible backpacks.

A new report detailed exactly what Disney+'s biggest problem is, and if Disney wants its platform to be at the top of the streaming food chain, it needs to find a way to fix it at all costs. Disney+ is undoubtedly one of the world's streaming giants, which is no surprise considering Disney has remained one of the top production companies for close to a century. While Disney+ has a strong subscriber base, a glaring issue with the platform has been revealed, and it could greatly hurt the House of Mouse in the long run.

According to new data that was shared by Sherwood, Disney has a major problem with its streaming platform, Disney+, in terms of what subscribers are pressing play on. If this trend continues, Disney could eventually have to entirely reevaluate its streaming strategy, as it could result in horrifying viewer numbers.

Specifically, the new data shows that 95% of Disney+'s total viewership comes from what is known as "catalog" content, which, in other words, means older releases. Therefore, that means that only 5% of viewership comes from new, original content that the platform produces.

Universal Studios is a name recognized by millions worldwide thanks to its legendary theme parks. There are Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando in the United States, as well as theme park locations in Japan, Beijing, and Singapore. Last year, the company impressed everyone with the insane attention to detail and scale that it brought to its new location in Orlando, Epic Universe.

Now, Universal has another theme park on the way with Universal Kids Resort. Opening on July 1, 2026, this location is different than the rest for one key reason: it's entirely geared toward children. From the IPs present to the rides around the park, and even the smaller details, such as the friendly, supportive staff and signs at kids' eye level, this is the place Universal Studios hopes families will spend their vacations.

The Direct was invited to Frisco, Texas, where Universal Kids Resort is located, to preview the theme park before its official grand opening.

Disney recently announced that it is releasing a sequel to an animated film that debuted in 2001 and is widely regarded as one of the company's most underrated titles of all time. It is no secret that Disney is one of the top dogs when it comes to animated films. The animation studio has put out some of the most acclaimed films of all time, and it has gone on specific runs across multiple years where there have simply been no misses. One movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios that came out in 2001 flew a bit under the radar, but hardcore fans often talk about how it is the biggest hidden gem in Disney's library.

Disney recently revealed that an official sequel to 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire will be released on October 13, 2026 in the form of a graphic novel. As shared in a listing from Papercutz, the graphic novel, which is titled Atlantis: The Lost Empire Vol. 1 - The Curse of Kurok, is being penned by Matthew Manning and illustrated by Christian Colbert.

Disney recently announced that its three biggest expansions that will take place throughout all of 2026 will come in different theme parks around the world. The Disney parks seem to grow bigger every year in multiple ways. On one hand, the company opens new attractions, restaurants, and character meets each year, and on the other, it seems as though record attendance numbers are set, and more people visit the parks worldwide than ever before. To keep up with the high demand and to fulfill Walt Disney's own belief that Disney parks will never be completed since they will always be growing and changing, the House of Mouse is taking major steps to expand three of its most popular parks.

During The Walt Disney Company's Q2 earnings conference call earlier this month, Disney announced that there are major plans for three of the Disney parks to receive expansions in the near future, and that the company would be allocating a lot of time and resources into those expansions throughout the rest of 2026. Specifically, new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro was asked about Disney's capital expenditures (CapEx) in 2026, and what those funds would mainly be going toward throughout the remainder of the year.

D'Amaro particularly noted Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and the Shanghai Disney Resort in China as the parks with the biggest planned expansions. This makes perfect sense, as those three parks are three of Disney's top four resorts in terms of attendance (Tokyo Disney is also in that mix):

On May 22, 2025, Universal opened its doors to Universal Epic Universe, a brand-new theme park at Universal Orlando Resort that whisks guests through the cosmos to five distinct lands. One year later, it remains just as vibrant and lively as ever, with park-goers marveling at the sight of Super Nintendo World brought to life before their eyes, meeting Toothless up close at Isle of Berk, and so much more.

To celebrate Epic Universe's one-year anniversary, The Direct was invited, along with other media and content creators, to experience not only the new park but everything Universal Orlando Resort has to offer over the course of a four-day stay. As both an Orlando local and a Universal Orlando Annual Passholder, I can confidently say this trip surpassed any previous visit I've had to the resort.

From fine dining and luxury accommodations to thrilling attractions and entertainment across the resort's theme parks, here's a look at everything guests can expect during a visit to Universal Orlando Resort.

The horror genre has been hotter than ever lately. The last few years have brought viewers worldwide now-iconic hits such as Weapons, the Terrifier franchise, and, of course, Sinners. Directed, written, and produced by Ryan Coogler of Creed and Black Panther fame, Sinners quickly became a theatrical darling upon its April 2025 release, paving a path to 16 Academy Awards nominations and four wins, including Best Original Screenplay. What better way to continue celebrating the film’s success than by bringing fans as close to the world of Sinners as possible?

Universal Studios announced that Sinners will be featured in a brand-new haunted house experience at its Orlando, Florida, and Hollywood, California, theme parks during the company's Halloween Horror Nights event this fall. Described in a press release as a "terrifying Halloween Horror Nights house [that] will transport guests back in time to the popular Club Juke," attendees will be fully immersed in Sinners, including through up-close encounters with red-eyed vampires.

A promotional image for the house spotlights star Michael B Jordan's dual roles in the movie as twins Smoke and Stack, as well as a vampire with a chunk of its face ripped off. The press release, per Jordan, noted that the house will allow guests "to feel the music, the atmosphere and the tension [of Sinners] all around them." 

Universal Studios revealed a brand-new Hippogriff animatronic at Fan Fest 2026 as part of its new Harry Potter experience, and it blew me away; it's truly an incredible creation.

Let's jump back to Fan Fest 2025, which also offered a Harry Potter experience. Last year's setup was much smaller. Instead of a maze-like experience, fans could watch and interact with new magical creatures in the Hogwarts area, including a Niffler, an Occamy, and a Baby Dragon. That was well done, but Universal Studios upgraded the Harry Potter setup significantly for 2026.

For those who want to attend Fan Fest Nights 2026, the event runs for 12 select nights between April 23 and May 16.

For horror fans, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights has become an infamous staple in the studio's theme parks around the world. Known for its haunted houses based on both original ideas and well-known IPs, scare zones filled with all-too-convincing actors, and innovative culinary creations, there's no question why many count down all year for the seasonal event to roll around. Now, Universal has designed a way to make that wait a little easier.

Horror Unleashed delivers the thrills of Halloween Horror Nights year-round for the first time ever. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, Horror Unleashed features four haunted houses: Universal Monsters, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scarecrow: The Reaping, and Blumhouse's The Exorcist: Believer. In between walking (or running) through the haunts, attendees can enjoy live entertainment, interactive scare zones, and themed food and bars. A second Horror Unleashed location is set to open in Chicago, Illinois, in 2027, expanding to the Midwest. 

Horror Unleashed isn't just a spooky warehouse; in true Universal storytelling fashion, it's filled with haunted props from films, some of which may have brought a few unwelcome guests to Vegas. Halfway to Halloween, Universal Studios invited The Direct to Las Vegas to step into the fog and experience Horror Unleashed firsthand. After taking it all in, it's safe to say that it is the premier horror attraction for those brave enough to face their fears. 

Disneyland in California officially removed the biggest Hidden Mickey from its property, likely to make way for the park's upcoming Coco attraction. For decades, Disney has prided itself on hiding different silhouettes or outlines of Mickey Mouse's head around its theme parks, and fans have taken great joy in finding all of them. Coined "Hidden Mickeys," these Easter eggs can be found all over Disney Parks, and come in all sizes.

As shared by Scott Gustin via X, Disney has permanently removed its biggest Hidden Mickey at Disneyland in California, as construction crews have begun demolition work on the area. This Hidden Mickey is not even technically inside one of the California parks, but is still on property.

LEGO is coming off an all-star year in 2025 that was headlined by its brand-new Star Wars Death Star, selling for a whopping $1000 with a 9023-piece build to keep fanatic collectors busy for days. There was truly something for everyone, with new sets from Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, How to Train Your Dragon, Stranger Things, and even the worlds of Nintendo, featuring a fully buildable Game Boy and a kart-riding Mario. 

Sadly, fans of one brand may be disappointed in 2026, as LEGO appears to be continuing its frustrating Batman-centric trend. In some ways, that shouldn't be a surprise, especially since one of the brick brand's biggest offerings of the year is actually coming to consoles and PC with LEGO Batman: The Legacy of the Dark Knight, the latest hilariously epic experience from developer TT Games.

But, for those looking for something more classically LEGO, these 10 new sets are undeniably the most exciting releases confirmed for 2026 so far...

If there's one thing the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise is known for, it's the series' intense and incredibly complex lore that fans are constantly diving into and breaking apart. This lore spans across a handful of video game outings, a long series of books, and now two feature films from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse. Given the numerous crazy stories in FNAF, many mysteries continue to perplex fans to this day—a feeling that extends to even the voices behind the characters audiences know and love.

The Direct sat down with Five Nights at Freddy's 2 star Kellen Goff, who voices the killer Freddy Fazbear and Foxy animatronics in the franchise (among other roles, including Toy Freddy in FNAF 2), to talk all things FNAF, where the long-time franchise staple revealed the core lore elements that still confused him to this day.

The first thing that Goff brings up is "the sea monkey Bonnie's thing," which is in reference to a concept introduced in the Fazbear Frights 10: Friendly Face book that saw Fazbear Entertainment experimenting on actual lifeforms—in this case, a genetically altered brine shrimp that looks like Bonnie.

With massive flooding in China affecting one of Thrilljoy's factories, the company was unable to maintain its original presence at New York Comic Con (NYCC), but that did not stop it from making a strong showing nonetheless. Thrilljoy partnered with Toy Temple and exhibited at its booth, where its executives spoke with The Direct.

Thrilljoy's Karissa Marston explained that the company was "actually supposed to exhibit here pretty big with a booth and a party" before the "massive floods." They "are so happy everyone is safe" and were able to turn around an alternative for New York Comic-Con quickly:

"We were actually supposed to exhibit here pretty big with with a booth and a party, but our factory unfortunately had some massive floods with all the terrible weather in China. So, you know, we are so happy everyone is safe. And it was a great pivot with our friends at Toy Temple. And we were really able to get some some stuff out, even though there we didn't bring it exclusive."

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is currently in the process of constructing new lands in three of its four theme parks, and now fans can finally see an exhibit detailing what each land will look like and what they could contain. Since the construction of TRON Lightcycle / Run, Disney World has not built any major attractions or areas in any of its four parks. However, in the coming years, fans will be introduced to multiple new lands, attractions, and restaurants.

For the first time since Disney officially announced that it would be developing major new lands, the House of Mouse created an exhibit inside one of its theme parks, showcasing concept art of each land and providing details of what park goers can expect when the lands open. Specifically, the exhibit highlights the Monsters Inc. themed land in Hollywood Studios (which is all but confirmed to be named Monstropolis), the Cars-themed area called Piston Peak in Magic Kingdom, and Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.

Image Comics has a new Spawn Christmas story on the way called I Saw Santa. It will tell a disturbing, gruesome tale perfect for the holiday season, with plenty of Spawn charm. The story follows a serial killer who, when they were children, got coal from Santa, a turning point that would transform them into a murderer looking to torment Jolly Ol' Saint Nick.

I Saw Santa will be two oversized issues, telling a contained Christmas story in the Spawn universe, released from Image Comics on November 26, 2025. The book is written by Chris Killian and Andrew Sanders and drawn by artist Thomas Nachlik. 

At New York Comic-Con (NYCC) 2025, The Direct's Russ Milheim sat down with writer Chris Killian, who many might know from his work over at ComicBook.com, to discuss his first-ever comic and how it might entice people who aren't already Spawn fans.

Mondo is a name every collector will know, as the brand is synonomyous with quality collectibles. They work spands countless properties (such as Marvel, DC Comics, TMNT, Godzilla, and more) across a variety of different products, from 1/6 scale figures, to posters, vinyls, and soft vinyls.

The Direct spoke with Mondo exeuctive Hector Arce (Director, Creative and Product Development) at New York Comic Con (NYCC), where he teased what 1/6 scale figure might be next from their Spider-Man: The Animated Series line.

Arce called attention to the fact that Mondo has "a Doctor Doom soft vinyl," a character who "does make an appearance in Spider-Man: The Animated Series." The executive noted that "he could definitely be on the table" for the future. When the topic of the recently announced Lizard figure came up, he went on to list "Green Goblin" and "Hobgoblin" as characters they'd love to get to.

Bioworld is a well-known merchandise company that offers products for everyone's fandoms, including Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars, anime, and more. It offers items such as unique clothing to celebrate your favorite characters or properties, household items, collectibles, and even luggage, as touted last year at New York Comic-Con (NYCC). 

At NYCC 2025, The Direct spoke with Bioworld's Jason Mayes, Sr. Director of Marketing and Intellectual Property, where he spoke about tackling MCU superhero fatigue in the company's merchandise and where it wants to grow and expand next.

Bioworld's Jason Mayes on Tackling MCU Superhero Fatigue

It's almost Halloween season, and everyone knows what that means: a brand-new selection of terrifying and immersive haunts at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights (HHN). This year, the legendary HHN event has plenty of fan-favorite IPs driving some of its biggest haunted houses, including Five Nights at Freddy's, Terrifier, Jason Universe, Fallout, and more.

Universal Studios Hollywood invited The Direct out to enjoy the festivities this year, and we're here to provide readers with our rankings of 2025's haunted houses. For those new to The Direct's rankings, remember that these are not judged based on how scary they are. Instead, they are evaluated by their immersion, atmosphere, creativity, and overall execution.

Be sure to check out how we ranked this year's Halloween Horror Nights houses over in Orlando.

Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) 34 is now open, and with it, the world gets to experience 10 all-new haunted houses. This year, there's not only a handful of fantastic IP (Fallout, Five Nights at Freddy's, Terrifier, and more) but five intriguing original concepts made to bring shivers down your spine.

Universal Studios invited The Direct to Halloween Horror Nights' opening night to experience all of the haunted houses, and it's easily one of the best lineups the event has had in years.

Now, for your reading pleasure, we've ranked all 10 of these new houses. It's important to note that these rankings will not be based on how scary the haunted houses were but instead focus on creativity, design, execution, and overall atmosphere.